The song is NF's highest-charting song to date, peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Pop Songs chart. As well as reaching mainstream charts internationally, "Let You Down" charted on Billboard's Hot Christian Songs and Hot Rhythmic Songs, reaching the No. 1 spot on the former chart. It is his first song to be certified Gold by the RIAA. It was later certified 3× Platinum in the US and also reached multi-Platinum in several other countries, including Canada and Australia.
On “Let You Down,” NF laments the struggles he had earlier in his life, and looking back at himself he felt like he “let himself down.” This track is similar to his songs “Got You On My Mind” and “Wish You Wouldn’t,” from his previous album Therapy Session.
Just like “Outro” and “Green Lights,” NF tweeted the first letter of the track—in this case, “L,” which could have been alluding either to “Let You Down” or “Lie.” Nine minutes later, he tweeted out the letter “E,” largely supporting the thought of it being “Let You Down.” The track was later officially confirmed to be “Let You Down” through a separate tweet.
Let You Down
NF Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wish that I could say I'm proud
I'm sorry that I let you down
Let you down
All these voices in my head get loud
I wish that I could shut them out
I'm sorry that I let you down
L-l-let you down
Yeah, I guess I'm a disappointment
Doing everything I can, I don't wanna make you disappointed
It's annoying
I just wanna make you feel like everything I ever did wasn't ever tryna make an issue for you
But, I guess the more you
Thought about everything, you were never even wrong in the first place, right?
Yeah, I'ma just ignore you
Walking towards you, with my head down, lookin' at the ground, I'm embarrassed for you
Paranoia, what did I do wrong this time? That's parents for you
Very loyal?
Shoulda had my back, but you put a knife in it, my hands are full
What else should I carry for you?
I cared for you, but
It's like we're on the edge right now
I wish that I could say I'm proud
I'm sorry that I let you down
L-l-let you down
All these voices in my head get loud
I wish that I could shut them out
I'm sorry that I let you down
L-l-let you down
Yeah, you don't wanna make this work
You just wanna make this worse
But you don't ever hear my words
You don't wanna know my hurt, yet
Let me guess you want an apology, probably
How can we keep going at a rate like this?
We can't, so I guess I'ma have to leave
Please don't come after me
I just wanna be alone right now, I don't really wanna think at all
Go ahead, just drink it off
Both know you're gonna call tomorrow like nothing's wrong
Ain't that what you always do?
I feel like every time I talk to you, you're in an awful mood
What else can I offer you?
There's nothing left right now, I gave it all to you
It's like we're on the edge right now
I wish that I could say I'm proud
I'm sorry that I let you down
L-l-let you down
All these voices in my head get loud
I wish that I could shut them out
I'm sorry that I let you down
L-l-let you down
Yeah, don't talk down to me
That's not gonna work now
Packed all my clothes and I moved out
I don't even wanna go to your house
Everytime I sit on that couch
I feel like you lecture me
Eventually, I bet that we
Could have made this work and probably woulda figured things out
But I guess that I'm a letdown
But it's cool, I checked out
Oh, you wanna be friends now?
Okay, let's put my fake face on and pretend now
Sit around and talk about the good times
That didn't even happen
I mean, why are you laughing?
Must have missed that joke
Let me see if I can find a reaction
No, but at least you're happy
Feels like we're on the edge right now
I wish that I could say I'm proud
I'm sorry that I let you down
Oh, I let you down
All these voices in my head get loud
And I wish that I could shut them out
I'm sorry that I let you down
Oh, let you down
I'm sorry
I'm so sorry now
I'm sorry
That I let you down
NF’s song Let You Down portrays his feelings of guilt and sadness concerning his failure to live up to someone’s expectations. In the chorus, he admits that he has let them down, and the voices in his head are loud making him wish he could shut them out. He also feels like he is on the edge where everything can tip either way. He feels like his efforts are not enough to please this person who he calls a disappointment, and he continually tries to make things work but only ends up making them worse.
The verses also depict the conflict he has with this person. They want him to listen to them but never hear his words, and they frequently want an apology without considering his pain. In the second verse, he expresses his frustration with the relationship by saying he wants to be alone and doesn’t want to go to their house anymore because of the constant lecturing that only makes him feel worse. In the end, he admits to being a letdown and checks out of the relationship, preferring to be alone than to be with someone who only laughs at his pain while pretending to be his friend.
Line by Line Meaning
It's like we're on the edge right now
Our relationship is on the verge of falling apart
I wish that I could say I'm proud
I wish I could make you happy and proud of me
I'm sorry that I let you down
I'm remorseful for failing you
Let you down
I disappointed you
All these voices in my head get loud
I constantly hear negative thoughts and self-doubt
I wish that I could shut them out
I wish I could silence my inner demons
Yeah, I guess I'm a disappointment
I acknowledge that I let you down
Doing everything I can, I don't wanna make you disappointed
I'm trying my best not to disappoint you, but I keep failing
It's annoying
My inability to meet your expectations is frustrating for both of us
I just wanna make you feel like everything I ever did wasn't ever tryna make an issue for you
I want you to understand that I never intended to cause problems for you
But, I guess the more you thought about everything, you were never even wrong in the first place, right?
You were right to be disappointed in me, and I can't argue with that
Yeah, I'ma just ignore you
I'm avoiding confrontation because I feel ashamed
Walking towards you, with my head down, lookin' at the ground, I'm embarrassed for you
I'm ashamed of my behavior, and I don't want to face you
Paranoia, what did I do wrong this time? That's parents for you
I worry about making mistakes and letting people down because of my upbringing
Shoulda had my back, but you put a knife in it, my hands are full
You betrayed my trust and made things worse
What else should I carry for you?
I feel burdened and unsupported
I cared for you, but
I wanted to make you happy, but I failed
Yeah, you don't wanna make this work
You're not invested in fixing our relationship
You just wanna make this worse
You're more interested in blaming me than resolving our issues
Want me to listen to you
You want me to cater to your needs without taking responsibility for your own actions
But you don't ever hear my words
You don't listen to my side of the story
You don't wanna know my hurt, yet
You're not interested in understanding my pain
Let me guess you want an apology, probably
You expect me to apologize, but you're not willing to forgive me
How can we keep going at a rate like this?
Our relationship is unsustainable
We can't, so I guess I'ma have to leave
I've come to accept that our relationship is over
Please don't come after me
I need time and space to sort out my feelings
I just wanna be alone right now, I don't really wanna think at all
I need to disconnect from the situation and take time for self-reflection
Go ahead, just drink it off
You're using alcohol to numb your emotions
Both know you're gonna call tomorrow like nothing's wrong
You'll act like everything is okay to avoid confronting our issues
Ain't that what you always do?
You have a tendency to avoid problems instead of dealing with them
I feel like every time I talk to you, you're in an awful mood
Our interactions are negative and draining
What else can I offer you?
I feel like I've given you everything I have and it's not enough
There's nothing left right now, I gave it all to you
I've exhausted all my resources trying to make our relationship work
Yeah, don't talk down to me
Don't belittle me or my feelings
That's not gonna work now
I won't tolerate disrespect anymore
Packed all my clothes and I moved out
I've physically removed myself from the situation
I don't even wanna go to your house
I want to distance myself from you
Everytime I sit on that couch, I feel like you lecture me
I feel criticized and judged in your presence
Eventually, I bet that we could have made this work and probably woulda figured things out
If we had communicated better and tried harder, maybe we could have saved our relationship
But I guess that I'm a letdown
My inability to make things work is disappointing
But it's cool, I checked out
I've emotionally detached myself from you and our relationship
Oh, you wanna be friends now?
You're willing to settle for a superficial, non-romantic relationship
Okay, let's put my fake face on and pretend now
I have to pretend I'm okay with being just friends even though I'm still hurting
Sit around and talk about the good times
We'll reminisce about the positive aspects of our relationship despite its downfall
That didn't even happen
We're romanticizing a relationship that was flawed and ultimately unsuccessful
I mean, why are you laughing?
I'm confused as to why you find this situation amusing
Must have missed that joke
I don't understand your sense of humor in this context
Let me see if I can find a reaction
I'm searching for any sympathetic or genuine response from you
I'm sorry
I apologize for my actions and the way our relationship ended
I'm so sorry now
I deeply regret hurting you and contributing to the end of our relationship
That I let you down
I feel guilty and ashamed for not being able to fulfill your expectations
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Tommee Profitt, Nate Feuerstein
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@phinaxa
Whoever reads this message...
They didn't notice you were crying
They didn't notice you were sad
They didn’t notice you were tired
They didn’t notice you were alone
They didn’t notice how attentive you were
They didn’t notice how sweet you actually are...
They didn’t notice how you actually try to make others smile
They did notice you failing grades
They did notice your unattractive
They did notice the mean side of you
They did notice all your mistakes
They did notice all you flaws
They did notice that you weren’t good enough for them.
But you stayed strong
You kept going on
You never gave up on hope
You never let them take you down
And you know they wasn’t good enough for you
And that’s what make you stronger! 💗💗
You aren’t ugly!
You aren’t mean!
You aren’t lazy!
You aren’t a failure!
You aren’t a mistake! 💗💗
You are beautiful!
You are worth it!
You do deserve everything!
You are trying!
You are smart!
You do deserve to live! 💗💗
Just know that I will always love you no matter what! And Jesus loves you 🙏🙏and I hope that everything that you're going through will be okay 💗💗
@CityOfTheStars
lyrics:
Feels like we're on the edge right now
I wish that I could say I'm proud
I'm sorry that I let you down
I let you down
All these voices in my head get loud
I wish that I could shut them out
I'm sorry that I let you down
Let you down
Yeah, I guess I'm a disappointment
Doing everything I can
I don't wanna make you disappointed
It's annoying
I just wanna make you feel like everything I ever did
Was never tryna make an issue for you
But I guess the more you thought about everything
You were never even wrong in the first place, right?
Yeah, I'ma just ignore you, walking towards you
With my head down, lookin' at the ground, I'm embarrassed for you
Paranoia, what did I do wrong this time? That's parents for you
Very loyal? Shoulda had my back but you put a knife in it
My hands are full, what else should I carry for you?
I cared for you, but
Feels like we're on the edge right now
I wish that I could say I'm proud
I'm sorry that I let you down
Let you down
All these voices in my head get loud
I wish that I could shut them out
I'm sorry that I let you down
Let you down
Yeah, you don't wanna make this work
You just wanna make this worse
Want me to listen to you
But you don't ever hear my words
You don't wanna know my hurt, yet
Let me guess
You want an apology, probably
How can we keep going at a rate like this?
We can't, so I guess I'ma have to leave
Please don't come after me
I just wanna be alone right now, I don't really wanna think at all
Go ahead, just drink it off
Both know you're gonna call tomorrow like nothing's wrong
Ain't that what you always do?
I feel like every time I talk to you
You're in an awful mood
What else can I offer you?
There's nothing left right now, I gave it all to you
Feels like we're on the edge right now
I wish that I could say I'm proud
I'm sorry that I let you down
Let you down
All these voices in my head get loud
I wish that I could shut them out
I'm sorry that I let you down
Let you down
Yeah, don't talk down to me
That's not gonna work now
Packed all my clothes and I moved out
I don't even wanna go to your house
Everytime I sit on that couch I feel like you lecture me
Eventually, I bet that we could have made this work
And probably woulda figured things out
But I guess I'm a letdown
But it's cool, I checked out
Oh, you wanna be friends now?
Okay, let's put my fake face on and pretend now
Sit around and talk about the good times
That didn't even happen
I mean, why are you laughing?
Must have missed that joke let me see if I can find a reaction
No, but at least you're happy
Feels like we're on the edge right now
I wish that I could say I'm proud
I'm sorry that I let you down
Oh, I let you down
All these voices in my head get loud
And I wish that I could shut them out
I'm sorry that I let you down
Oh, let you down
Yeah, I'm sorry
I'm so sorry now
Yeah, I'm sorry
That I let you down
@kristenbruce8262
This song speaks volumes to those who have strained relationships with their parents, this song was made for us. Thank you NF for putting my deepest feelings into words.. ❤
@PixelBoyGamingTV
Yes he helps me with my parent problems like with his dad same for mine I have issues with mine especially when he isn't here with me rn😭😭
@izzysartscraftsbirds5698
Yes😓
@KrimsonKoval
tell me about it im 18 ane homeless thanks to them
@luv.4aa
yep.
@trinamarshall367
😅😅😢😢😢is one of Bixby what song is this it bad
@Distrivi
I love how NF can make bangers without swears
@YureiMyBeloved
He’s too good man
@moosevail2539
same
@Sarah-yk7yy
He had to free style on stage he forgot the words